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Synonyms

put on airs

Idioms  
  1. Assume a haughty manner, pretend to be better than one is, as in I'm sick of Claire and the way she puts on airs. Airs here means “a manner of superiority.” [c. 1700]


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

For all his crowing about his money and showing off, he really didn’t put on airs.

From Salon Nov. 23, 2025

Zaluzhny was already known as an ambitious and modern commander, but also an unpretentious man who liked to joke with his subordinates and didn't put on airs.

From BBC Jun. 14, 2023

Mr. Silvestri, who once waited on Ms. Turner, said she did not put on airs.

From New York Times May 25, 2023

Sometimes you get intimidated by people because of their intellect, but she never put on airs.

From Seattle Times Nov. 25, 2022

It let her feel like she was distancing herself from her mother, who Terryl always felt put on airs that everything was okay.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

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